Shower
by Adaon
Summary: If you were the technician in charge of keeping the shower running, you faced death threats and other unpleasant things if you didn't get it fixed.


Life on Mars was not easy. Take for example something as trivial as a shower, you think everyone has there own? Ha! There was only one community shower. Time had to be split in to shifts, and if you missed yours, that was just too bad, you had to wait another 2 days to get one. Possibly the biggest annoyance on the planet is when the shower breaks down.

Such break downs were bound to happen averaging once per month due to substandard parts being shipped to Mars, and massive overuse. The breakdowns had gotten so bad that people on Mars took to creating a pool of 1 hours pay every time they got a shower. Then when a breakdown happened, anyone who couldn't get a shower got a share of the pool. Earning an extra month pay was a small consolation when all you wanted to do was get the red dust out of your hair.

If you were like Zechs and had hair running halfway down your back, it was incredibly annoying. If you were like Noin and around Zechs when he started getting moody about dust in his hair, you got annoyed by his constant mumbling. If you were the technician in charge of keeping the shower running, you faced death threats and other unpleasant things if you didn't get it fixed.

The other problem with working on Mars was that you were pretty much always either hot or cold. Because a great deal of their work required going in to an inhospitable atmosphere (which simply put, means it gets very cold). To complicate matters, a good portion of the work outside was "emergency" repairs, so workers had to be on constant readiness. The solution was for every worker to wear a body suit that was quickly complemented with a helmet and miscellanies gear so workers could get to a situation in seconds instead of minutes. Now even the bodysuit wouldn't be so bad on its own, but temperature regulation wasn't very good, 30 degrees of difference (on the fahrenheit) from the outside, IF you were lucky. Just to keep warm, keeping the bodysuit on was necessary for most of the day.

When a shipment of heavy blankets arrived, there was much celebration over no longer needing to wear the suit just to prevent freezing in your sleep. The best temperature regulators were kept in the mess hall, so that everyone could at least eat/meet in some comfort. In summery, there were three times you got out of the bodysuit, meals, sleep, and the shower. Loosing one of those was could put someone in a mood that... well, let's just say that person was avoided for a few days.

Now if there was anything more annoying then loosing your shower, it was being the only one to loose your shower, since misery loves company. This was currently the pleauge of Zechs and Noin. While their "shifts" had come and gone in the shower, they had to repair a temperature regulator, and then work on a solar panel that was malfunctioning. They had arrived to the showers with just enough time to catch the last shift of the day, only for it to break down. It was now a race against the clock for the shower to get up and running. In twenty minutes the solar panels would be of position and the compound would switch to battery power. When that happened, nonessential systems were shut down to conserve power. Despite Noin's best efforts in the matter, the shower system was still deemed non-essential.

At long last, the repair man exited the shower, offered his apologies for the delay and headed off. Once he was gone, Zechs and Noin both started walking towards the door that led from the locker room to the actual shower, and Zechs stopped with his hand on the door while looking at Noin. After blinking a few times, and doing his best to NOT look at where that body suit was hugging her curves, he spoke up "we seem to have a problem."

"The only one I can see is you keeping that door closed."

"Noin, you are a women."

"Gee, thanks for noticing, any other incredible revelations you want to share with me."

"Noin... I am a man."

"Oh really? And here I just thought you were a little buff for a girl."

"Noin..."

"Zechs, I haven't had a shower in 2 days, and we have about 12 minutes left, now either were can be grown adults about this and share the shower, or you can wait another 2 days, but I am going in there." With that she reached past him and pulled the door open and walked in while reaching behind her back on pulling down the zipper. After blinking more and trying NOT to stare as her bare flesh was revealed, Zechs lost (or won depending on your perspective) the debate in his head and followed her in.

"Zechs."

"Yes Noin?" He was suddenly blinding by the black cloth that had landed over top of his head.

"Catch." 


End file.
